Library Anywhere is a mobile version of your public or academic library. It is available in mobile web formats today and in app forms in the near future*. Itís free for users, but libraries have to subscribe to it.

Access by Going To: http://www.libanywhere.com from any mobile device and you'll find a directory of libraries using LibraryAnywhere. Select, click, and you'll be using LibraryAnywhere to search the library's OPAC and access other info.

These sites will open in a non-mobile browser and you can get an idea for the look and feel of what's available. However, don't forget that these sites are optimized for mobile browsers.

Key Features:

+ Native apps are coming but this is "web app" (aka "universal version") that will work with almost all mobile browsers (not just smartphone browsers).

+ "Universal Version" is fully compliant with Section 508 and other accessibility standards.

+ Geo-location finds your nearest library easily.

+ Works with most major OPAC systems.

We were happy to read that once the native apps are released, a user can go to the same URL they are used to and then take to the App Store, Android Market, etc. to quickly download the proper version for their device.

* The iPhone/iPad app is pending Apple approval, and will be released this month. Apps for other platforms will be released by the end of the year.

Congrats to Tim Spalding and the Entire LibraryThing Team!

LibraryAnywhere looks great, works well, and we're happy to see that even when native apps become available a universal (platform agnostic) version will already be available. Even more exciting, this is just the first official release.